5.03.2012

Now on Facebook

Here's final proof that anyone can have a Facebook page: they even let me on there. Well, OK, it's not technically my page—it's the brand-new Facebook page for Common Errors in English Usage.

The English usage tie-in is natural enough; it is on Facebook that "like" and "friend" both do noun-and-verb double-duty. You can friend your associates and increase their likes. Beyond that, the meaning of "like" and "friend" fundamentally changes in the context of Facebook. To make a friend on Facebook is not nearly the struggle it can be out in the real world, and liking in realm of Facebook does not mean something has met the criteria you would use to recommend a restaurant to a picky (real-world) friend.